


Captains' Meeting

by junko



Series: Scatter and Howl [47]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 17:11:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6160654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renji tries to survive his first official gathering as acting captain of the Sixth; Byakuya, meanwhile, has some meetings of his own</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captains' Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't tag for underage drinking, but milage may vary depending on your sense of how old Captain Hitsugaya is.

Stepping nervously into the great hall, Renji was surprised to discover all the captains who had already arrived standing, lined up, in two rows, perfectly silent. No one even turned their heads to look at him, which, weirdly, made Renji feel even more awkward and uncertain. 

He took a deep breath and tried to think: _what would Byakuya do?_

Byakuya would be cool and collected and just stride to his assigned spot like he owned the place. 

Renji straightened his shoulders, lifted his chin, and attempted his best Byakuya impression. As he got nearer to captains Ukitake and Kurotsuchi the impulse to scoot behind everyone increased, but Renji knew he couldn’t do that. You don’t walk behind an armed captain. It would not only be rude, but also a strange sort of creepy insult. So, he was going to have push through this gauntlet of captain-level spiritual pressure….

Briefly touching Zabimaru’s hilt, Renji reminded himself: I’m captain-level, too. I belong here.

Telling himself that, however, didn’t make walking through the rows of captains any easier, even with Ukitake giving him that big encouraging smile. It felt like every eye was on him: disapproving, shocked... or both. Captain Hitsugaya made a little noise when Renji walked past him, and it just about killed Renji not to turn to try to see the captain’s expression.

But Renji made it all the way to captain Kyōraku without fainting, bursting into any kind of apology, or tripping on the hem of the haori, so that was a win, right? 

Spinning around into place, he snapped to military attention.

And… stared straight at a smirking Hirako and… embarrassed-seeming Komamura. Both of them looked at Renji like they were imagining him and Byakuya together. Hirako clearly found the thought amusing, and Komamura… well, whatever was going through his head, it seemed to be making the captain deeply uncomfortable.

The silence was killing Renji, too. He really wanted to say something, explain himself, babble incoherently, apologize, burst into hysterical laughter--but he bit the inside of his mouth, instead, to remind himself to keep quiet.

It was like Academy, all over again. Standing silently at attention for long periods of time was a thing he’d been trained to do. He just hadn’t had to call on these skills in… well over a half a century. Sure, Byakuya demanded a certain amount. But, it was one thing to hold your ground while getting dressed down for bad behavior or some stupid mistake or whatever, and yet very much another to be standing around not really know WHAT the fuck to expect.

As Renji stood there for what seemed forever, other captains continued to arrive and take their places. Soi Fon hurried in, the last, and gave Renji a decidedly sharp and disapproving look as she strode past him.

He wanted to say, _Look, lady, if it were up to me I wouldn’t be here!_

Beside him, Kyōraku adjusted his straw hat with a little sigh. “Shouldn’t be too much longer now,” he whispered to Renji from under cover of the hat.

Renji wanted to ask how Kyōraku could be so sure, but, almost if on cue, Head Captain Yamamoto came shuffling in to take his place at the center/pinnacle of the double line. He tapped the tip of Ryũjin Jakka, hard, on the floor. The bang echoed with more than sound; Renji felt the reiatsu rattle against his ribcage like a bass drum.

Expecting a formal meeting, Renji mentally prepared himself for some kind of introduction as an acting captain of the Sixth. It didn’t come. 

In fact, the Head Captain seemed to be complaining about… kites.

Renji wasn’t entirely sure, because the Soutaicho mumbled. The whole thing was barely audible except for the bellowed “...don’t leave your trash on my lawn! That is an order!”

...And then he shuffled out.

The hell?

“Oh dear, and your first one, too,” Kyouraku sighed beside Renji.

Kenpachi let out a long, loud yawn. “If he was gonna pull one of these, I wish he’d fucking picked nine in the evening. Well…. where are we going?”

Kyouraku turned to Renji, explaining, “It’s a long established tradition that whenever Old Man Yama has one of these… let’s call them ‘less than useful’ meetings, we all go for drinks after.”

Captain Hitsugaya pulled a grumpy face. “I haven’t even had breakfast. I’m going to be shitfaced. There’s the day wasted. Literally.”

“You think your day is wasted!” Kurotsuchi hissed. “Think of the experiments!”

“Now, now,” Unohana piped up from Renji’s other side, “Let’s try to remember this is exactly why this tradition was established. So we can catch up on each other’s business and no one would have to feel as if it were time lost.”

“Plus drinking!” Kyouraku bellowed happily. 

All Renji could think was: _I’m doomed._

#

Byakuya found the captain of the guard in her office. It was a small room, located inside the wall that separated the estate from the Division. The stone radiated a chill that easily penetrated the silk of Byakuya’s yukata, and the floor was cold on his stocking feet. 

The guard captain seemed to be expecting him. Seeing him, she jumped to her feet. Bowing so deeply she was nearly bent in half, she thrust out a sheaf of papers for him to take. She stayed bowed as he scanned the report. A guesstimate of the number of dead: five. Injured: a dozen or more, three of their own. 

“It says here that the fire brigade thinks the fire started after a kido blast knocked over several oil lamps,” Byakuya noted, turning the page.

“Yes, my lord,” she said, her head down. 

“At ease,” Byakuya said to her. She straightened back up as he continued to read the report. Satisfied with the contents, he turned to her and said, “I don’t need to tell you this was a disaster, but, from this account, it appears that you and your officers acted within the best of their abilities, given the situation. I’m pleased to see that you deployed soldiers to help contain the fire and to tend to the injured until the Fourth arrived. Very pleased. So, then, what is important is that, while we may have been the aggressors, we didn’t start the fire.”

“No, sir, that was definitely on the drunken theatre goer, the shinigami,” the captain of the guard said. 

“Do we have a name? A rank? A Division?” Byakuya asked.

She made an unhappy noise and shook her head. “I’ve gotten conflicting reports, my lord, but a minor seated officer? Possibly from the Eleventh? No one seemed to know him. He disappeared before the Fourth arrived.”

Byakuya let out a little breath. If it was true, it was a godsend. Drunken brawling was their bread and butter over at the Eleventh, after all. “But, if he disappeared so quickly, how is it that people know he’s from the Eleventh?”

“It’s best guesses, my lord.”

No. There was something fishy going on here. Finally, the reason why this bothered Byakuya hit him. “The guess is wrongful wishful thinking. We cannot lie because it would suit our best interests, Captain,” Byakuya said sharply. “You should know well enough that no self-respecting seated officer from the Eleventh would use kidō.”

The muscles of the guard captain’s jaw flexed. “Ah, damn it. Yes, of course! I should have known better. That sounded too convenient.”

“Indeed. Quite too convenient.” Byakuya let out a sigh. “That had better be the only bit of misinformation you’ve been fed. In fact, I need you to find the truth. If you can uncover some eyewitnesses from last night that will swear that the kidō came from someone not in our number, have them make a statement. Once those are attached to this report, in which there will be no mention of anything half-suspected or untrue, you will make two copies. One to be sent to the Head Captain and the other to Captain Kyōraku of the Eighth, along with a formal apology from yourself and a written one from me, which I will have for you within the hour. When you personally talk to the captain, you will remind him that I would have come myself, but I remain under house arrest.”

“Yes, my lord,” said the captain, with a bowing salute.

“Oh, and, Captain, you will make no conjecture, only speak in quantifiable truths. But you will not apologize for the raid, per se,” Byakuya said. “You may, however, apologize for not informing Kyōraku ahead of time of our intended actions. The clan will apologize for our share of the responsibility for lives lost, injuries, and property damage, but nothing more. It’s been a long time since a clan war has affected anyone inside the Seireitei, but Captain Kyōraku is old enough to remember earlier days.”

“Yes, my lord.” She bowed deeply again.

Byakuya frowned at the top of her closely shorn, steel gray head for a long moment. It made him uneasy that she had tried to pin the blame--intentionally or unintentionally--for this incident on the Eleventh. It caused him to doubt the truthfulness of the whole report. 

His ‘bodyguards’ were, in effect, his civilian army. Byakuya needed to be able to call on them to defend clan interests, and, when necessary, fight clan wars. After last night’s property seizure, Yakimura would certainly retaliate. 

Byakuya had considered assassinating Yakimura outright, but he’d decided against it, in part, because he wanted a clean, direct sense of justice. Killing Yakimura for unsuccessfully holding hostage an unseated officer was a bit… harsh. While Byakuya did have a ruthless reputation that he wished to maintain, he also wanted to be known as fair. 

If he was only merciless, he would face potential rebellion. But, if he was known to deal swiftly, but justly with those who opposed him, he could have peace and a clan confident in their leader’s ability to be impartial and evenhanded.

“Are your soldiers ready for reprisals?” Byakuya asked. 

The guard captain straightened again, her face full of surprise. “I was unaware that Yakimura had an army at his disposal.”

“There is always an army where there is money, particularly in the Rukongai,” Byakuya noted. “Yakimura may also employ subtle retaliation. We should be on the lookout for any kind of sneak attack.” Byakuya made a mental note to send butterflies to the bodyguard troops stationed at his various properties, particularly those located in the far-flung reaches. He’d also have to check with aunt Masama to see if she knew what kind of person Yakimura was--was he smart enough to attack Byakuya’s weakest point, in courtly favor? Or fool-hearted enough to continue a military campaign? 

“We will prepare ourselves, my lord.”

“See that you do,” Byakuya said, already heading off to find his aunt. Now, he had to hope she was feeling… cooperative.

#

Renji felt completely ambushed for the second time today.

Since they were close to the Second Division, Soi Fon had been in charge of choosing the venue. Maybe it was by chance, but she happened to pick the very same tavern/inn where Renji and Byakuya had had an... unhappy liaison upstairs, in Yoruichi’s love nest. It had been a night that had almost broken their relationship beyond repair, and Renji was pretty sure that Soi Fon was aware of what had transpired, since she’d threatened Byakuya with rape charges.

Just seeing the exterior of the tavern made Renji’s feet slow. He nearly stopped, which caused Captain Hitsugaya to barrel right into his back…. well, actually, given their height difference, Hitsugaya basically face-planted in Renji’s butt. Renji spun around and apologized profusely, “Oh, geez, I’m sorry, sir!”

He bowed, deeply. And often.

“What are you doing, Abarai? Wearing that thing you don’t need to call me ‘sir,’ and stop bowing like that, you’re making me dizzy,” Hitsugaya groused. “Why are you wearing a haori, anyway? Did Byakuya die and no one tell me?”

“No, he’s not dead,” Renji explained. At that moment Kensai walked past, glowering so Renji just said, “It’s awkward, but he’s under house arrest at the moment.”

“Arrest?” Hitsugaya’s surprise made his voice loud. “Byakuya? What for?”

“Uh, that’s the awkward part,” Renji said. “Fraternization.”

Hitsugaya frowned, clearly unable to process the idea of fraternization and Byakuya in the same sentence. “But… fraternization? Does anyone really pay attention to those rules?”

Mayuri walked by and muttered, “I certainly hope not,” at almost the same time as Rose. Kensei, who was still several steps ahead, put his fingers in his ears and loudly sing-said, “La, la, la, as long as I don’t hear about it, it’s not my problem!”

Hitsugaya watched all this with widening eyes and shook his head in disbelief. “Of all the captains in the Gotei, I find it hard to believe Byakuya Kuchiki was the indiscrete one.” 

Renji glanced toward the inn, watching as Kensei disappeared inside, and said, “It was a stupid accident. The captain was a little tipsy. We had a fight. In public.”

“I don’t see how this is related news, you two are always fighting…. oh.” Hitsugaya who had started walking, stopped and looked at Renji. “Oh.”

Renji scrubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he acknowledged, “‘Oh.’”

“Wow, okay, well,” Hitsugaya said, nodding his head like maybe this information was going to take some time to sink in. Then, after a few awkward moments, he said, “Maybe a stiff drink at nine o’clock in the morning isn’t such a bad idea.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Renji said, but he stayed where he was on the sidewalk, staring at the tavern’s exterior. It was early enough that the streets were mostly empty, only a few bleary-eyed shopkeepers were going about the business of opening up. The sun was bright and warm on his back, but Renji shivered.

He didn’t want to go in there. He didn’t want to deal with the captains, and he didn’t want to deal with that… place and its memories.

The door swung open and Captain Kyōraku poked his head out and made a show of looking around. Spotting him, he let out a jovial shout: “There you are, my boy! Come on, the party is starting.”

Renji took in a breath. Despite wanting to say ‘sorry, I can’t,’ he steeled himself with a squaring of his shoulders and marched in.

#

Byakuya sat in the library, his legs tucked under the kotatsu. He sipped his tea, and, through the opened panel, watched wrens gathering straw for their nests in the ancient, gnarled white pine. The courtyard garden was a cacophony of twittering peeps. 

What was Yakimura thinking right now?

Byakuya didn’t know the man at all. He hardly knew anything of substance about his multitude of cousins and distant relatives. Was Yakimura the sort who would retaliate for last night’s losses or would he capitulate? He was such a seemingly unlikely aggressor, with so few resources and only theaters to his name, but Aunt Masama would know. Byakuya was glad she’d agreed to come talk to him because she knew everyone, and had connections….

A connection he should have made a long time ago hit Byakuya so hard he nearly snorted hot tea out his nose. His corresponding coughing fit scattered the birds from the trees.

Connections. He should have connected the damn dots.

Could it be? This clan war had been started by Masama...? 

Perhaps not intentionally, but the pieces were all there. She had hired the impoverished Isoroku to attack Renji. All that mess had back-fired, or at least seemed to have, and Byakuya had thought the whole ugly business finished when he agreed to pay Isoroku’s debt. 

Yet, Isoroku was in Yakimura’s camp when Kaminari Yagi, Ukitake’s Thunder Goat, had been taken captive. 

Did that really seem like a coincidence? Renji had warned Byakuya that a gambler never truly settled. Had that fool Isoroku returned to Masama with some hairbrained proposal and a request for more funds? If so, what had he offered her? 

Could he have offered a war? A chance to cripple or disable Byakuya…? Was Masama really that hellbent on destroying him that she would risk the entire clan, lose the Kuchiki name in the process?

It seemed insane, but was it really beyond her?

Eishiro’s voice came from the door, “Lady Masama Kuchiki to see you, my lord.”

“Yes,” Byakuya said, not bothering to rise to his feet. “Send the lady in. We have much to discuss.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to quibble about Yamamoto's behavior, but I have distinct memory of Old Man Yama being a bit dithering at the very beginning of the series, and so I thought it'd be fun to see THAT guy again.


End file.
